ok, around thanksgiving time, I will have $2000 to spend on a home recording studio. So I looked online to see what stuff I need to buy, and there is just so much stuff! So I was wondering if anyone can help me out.

Me and my friend are in a band, hes the drummer and I am the guitar and vocals. So we would need equipment for both of us. And my budget is around $2000

First off, get some microphones, stands for them, and cables. Shure and Sennheiser offer high-quality drum mic kits and multi-mic packs. You can get about ten 20' for about $17 at music123.com. You should probably get a mixing board with an input and an output for as many mics as you need. Mackie, Yamaha, and a variety of other brands are out there with quality boards at reasonable prices. Also, make sure you get stands. Also, get monitors and headphones so you can listen to your recordings as you make them and play them back after they're recorded (so you can adjust levels and eq).

Then pick the medium you want to record on: Do you like tape? Cassette or four-track? Do you want to go digital? Is computer-aided editing something you need? It'll help narrow down exactly what you're going to put the mixer's output into.

These links might help:
http://homerecording.com/rec_faq.html
http://www.tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mixer_for_your_studio.html

Oh, I love you right now Yam, I know nothing about home recording studios

I read that four track article. And is there anyway you can just transfer it to a computer instead of a cassette? Because the four track sounds appealing to me as I can play keyboard as well, but the cassette part isn't that attracting. I bought a couple mics and an extra amp for my mic, my friend has got all the drum stuff covered he says.

how much are mixers, and can you get them in a regular electronics store like RadioShack, or do you have to order them online. I haven't really looked at a mixer before, I plan to read that article that you gave me, but I don't have enough time today.

And for the music editing, I probably won't be using it much, but my friend said that a good program was Audacity, do you have to pay for that? Ive seen that program at school computers, but it looked ridiculously hard to use.

Tommorow, I will read the Mixer article, thanks by the way

Get a mixer in a music store, like Guitar Center, SamAsh, etc. or through an online music provider. Radioshack is for cellphone parts and car stereos, and the cheapest of the cheap. Besides buying wires or a potentiometer I find them of little use.

If you want to forgo the cassette, you can either use a digital recorder and record onto a memory card (make sure your computer has a port) or use a recording interface and a program like audacity. If you go for the second option, you need a fast processor in order to prevent latency.

And seriously, READ. You will simply NOT be able to do a professional recording without reading, it's not that complicated but you can't just expect it to magically happen.

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

IMO, if you're spending $2000, you should invest in some decent software. I've used Cubase and Adobe Audition, both work great but they're a tad on the expensive side (~400USD). Recording in audacity is just awful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe7Iapsu_38
I have some beta keys that I probably wont use.

Audacity isn't THAT bad.
And it's extremely easy to use. And free.

This is definitely not the site you want to be asking about building home studios. Try GearSlutz.com or Tweakheadz.com for the kind of Info you are looking for. Tweakheadz especially I believe has a lot of different studio builds for all kinds of budgets and purposes.

In fact. Here: http://tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

I don't want to spend all of the $2000, I dont even know how to use the equipment im about to get. Right now, I am not going to worry about the mixer.

For the recording medium, what is recommended if I were to be by myself, could I combine 2 or 3 tracks together in a digital recording?

Dude grab yourself an Mbox 2 factory and get yourself some good cables and a nice condenser microphone and maybe a Midi Keyboard Controller if your looking for a cheap but solid digital recording option. Making good Analog Recordings would cost you a lot more money and time. Why would you combine 2 or 3 tracks together unless they are the same part just a different take? You should definitely do some reading up on recording techniques (may I again suggest Tweakheadz.com and Gearslutz.com) before you put down cash for something you don't seem to know a whole lot about.

I plan to record in a step by step. First my friend will record drums, and then I will make something up while listening to his drums. And then I use the keyboard while listening to both at the same time if I decide that there should be one. And then the singing

And this looks amazing Farty, how much is it? I went to their website but only could visit one page

EDIT: never mind, I found it, 300 dollars is not bad. I will consider this and wait until my birthday in October to buy this. For now I will buy a couple mic stands and mics.

Post has been edited 4 time(s), last time on Aug 1 2009, 8:59 pm by Chubacca.

Well In that scenario you would have your guitar part playing in your headphones on one track and then you would record your piano part onto another track. You definitely do not want two instruments on one track. Don't bother with Record they are much better DAWs out there for the same amount of money. And for the record Farty the beta will expire in september.

Then should I get the mbox you were talking about in a couple posts up? And in the end, I want all the instruments to play to make a masterpiece, I know to keep them on single tracks until the end, oh and farty, If you want, can you give me a beta key

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 1 2009, 9:15 pm by Chubacca.

I didn't know that, I got my beta key from Corbo.

Yeah and the final product is going to be dongle protection which is sad times. Chubacca: I would say to get something like an mbox yes. I would really suggest you go the pro audio section of your local guitar center and weigh your options with an Mbox or other device. The Mbox will come with pro tools which is a great DAW especially if you are working with Audio Tracks (which is what you are doing). The new version 8 which is what you will get also added some great new plug ins especially if you get the factory edition. Remember that it takes more than just recording tracks into a Sequencer to make a masterpiece. I would also suggest watching the DVD "Mix it like a record" by Charles Dye to get you going in the right direction. Oh and more thing make sure you have some really good headphones or at least a $300 pair of studio monitors (speakers) I have the M-Audio BX5a Deluxe monitors which are right at $300 and they are awesome.

Is mbox also user friendly? Because I don't want to spend a couple weeks, 6 hours a day trying to figure the program out. And for the speakers/headphones, Ive got both, A surround sound that you can hear an acre away when they are in the basement, and huge ass headphones that will make your ears buzz after wards, which i made

Ok Ear buzzing is exactly what you do not want. Unless your ultimate goal is to get Tinnitus get rid of those headphones or turn them way down. The same with the surround sound system. Its not about volume its about accurate frequency response. Pro tools which is the recording software with the Mbox (Also ask if they have the music production toolkit) is pretty user friendly and there is a plenty of help and info in book form and online. Getting a book about recording in pro tools isn't a bad idea either. They sell them at Guitar center too I believe but you would most likely be able to get it cheaper at borders.

cheap at borders? is that a book store? so would u you find it at barnes and nobles?

Yeah it would be there too.